Vehicle-top



W. A. HENDERSON.

VEHICLE TOP.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.29.1917. RENEwEn JAN. 13.1920.

Patented Apr. 27,1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

W. A. HENDERSON.

VEHICLE TOF.

I APPLICATION FILED IIIAR.29, 1917. IIEIIIawED IAN. Ia, 1920.

Patented Apr. 27, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2- W. A. HENDERSON.

VEHICLE ToP.

I APPLICATION FILED MAR. 29, 19|]- 1,338,446.

RENEWED MN. 13,1920.

Patented Apr. 27, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

UNTTED STATES PATENT onirica.

WILLIAM A. HENDERSON, OF LARCHMONT, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO HOLBROOK COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

VEHICLE-TOP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 27, 1920.

Application led March 29, 1917, Serial No. 158,220. Renewed January 13, 1920. Serial No. 351,256.

To all whom t 'may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM A. HENDER- soN, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Larchmont, in the county of "Westchester and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improve ments in Vehicle-Tops, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to vehicle tops and especially to folding and collapsing tops and its object is to provide hinge members which will connect certain parts of the top and be concealed therein so as to avoid unsightly details or projections which` will catch and tear clothing. These concealed hinge members also afford bracing means to strengthen the framework of the top and together with other details and objects will be more fully described in the following specification, set forth in the claim and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, whereinv Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved vehicle top.

Fig. 2 is a similar view partly folded. Fig. 3 is a detail View of an upper corner of the hood.

Fig. 1 is a side view of the top folded and thrown down.

Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are detail views of hinge members.

While the tops of vehicles and i,especially automobiles are massive and cumbersome in appearance, the parts when removed and folded may be compactly arranged about the body of the vehicle and it is desirable that none of the small and angular parts project so as to catch the clothing or come in contact with the limbs of the occupants.

Where the parts are hinged and adapted to be let down the hinges as heretofore used have been exposed in all positions, but as provided and constructed in the present invention they are hidden from view while the top is in use or folded down.

The improved top as shown in the drawings is fitted on the body, 10, of any desired type, and consists of posts,11, hinged. at each side of the body and adapted to fold toward each other, the bow, 12, folding backward, with the hood, 13.

The roof, 14:, is supported at its front end by the posts, 11, and hinged to the bow, 12, by means of hinges consisting of the member, 15, secured to the front face of the bow and the member, 16, secured to the upper side -of the side bar, 17, of the roof, the two members being connected by a link, 18. The members, 15 and 1G, are plates let into and made flush with their respective supports, and suitable eyes are provided for the link.

To the upper side of the bar, 17, is also secured a slotted plate, 19, with a suitable eye, 20, as a hinge member and the inner sides of the bow also carry plates, 21., with eyes, 22, extending through a slot. The eyes, 20 and 22, are connected by a link 23, whose ends are curved and play in slots in the bar, 17, and the bow, 12, so that the said link remains parallel with the bow.

The door, 24, of the vehicle carries an upper hinged section, 25, which is folded down on the inside when it is desired to fold down the top, and when this door is closed the hinge members and links already described are hidden, except link, 23, whose edge is shown fitting in an appropriate slot in` the bow, 12, but flush therewith.

The folding of the upper door section and the roof are shown in Fig. 2, and the bow is ready to be thrown down into the position shown in Fig. 4, in which case a hinge member 26 attached to the rear of the bow carries the latter and has at its lower end the angular offset 27 with the pivot 28 in its lower end. The pivot, 28, swings in the ears, 29, of the angular frame, 30, lfitted in the corner formed by the members, 31 and 32, of the body framework and braces and strengthens the same to render it capable of supporting the weight of the top while in the intermediate position shown in Fig. 2. The frame 3() is concealed within the frame of the vehicle body and the member 32 is slotted as at 33 to allow the offset 27 to occupy a position where it will at no time be exposed.

The post 12 and the bar 17 are appropriately slotted to' receive the eyes 20 and 22 and the ends of the links 23, but the hinge members and the links are effectually concealed and protected by the woodwork of the vehicle body.

The hinge member 26-27 removes the post 12 from the edge of the doorway and throws it some distance to the rear thereof, and the usual carriage brace 35 is provided to retain the post in its upright position and ease its fall.

It is obvious that the details of this vehicle top may be altered or otherwise arranged Without departing from the essontial features above described or from the scope of the appended claim.

What I claim as new is:

In a vehicle top, the combination with a vehicle frame comprising door posts and horizontal members and having pockets, angular hinge members secured to the posts and horizontal members Within the pockets, bowy members, cooperating off-set hinge members carrying the bow members and adapted to throw them backward when lowered, upper hinge members concealed within the bow members, side bars Jfor the top and connected with the upper hinge members, and a second set of upper hinges to control the movement of the horizontal members or side bars of the top.

Signed at New York, in the count.T of New York and State of New York.

WILLIAM A. HENDERSON. 

